SBA Kicks Off National Small Business Week 2011 In Washington, D.C.

Business Forums on Social Media, Exporting and Strategies for High Growth, High Impact Firms Free to the Public

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The nation’s top entrepreneurs will gather this week to be recognized for their entrepreneurship, growth and success during the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week celebration, May 18-20, 2011, in Washington, D.C.

Under the theme “Empowering Entrepreneurs,” the three-day event at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Conference Center will highlight business owners from 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, whose business achievements have contributed to job creation, the economy and to the nation’s recovery. The National Small Business Person of the Year will be named from this group on Friday, May 20.

Awards will also be presented for notable achievements in disaster recovery, government procurement, small business advocacy, and to top-performing SBA resource and lending partners.

Featured Speakers at National Small Business Week will include:

Administrator Karen Mills, U.S. Small Business Administration

Deputy Administrator Marie Johns, U.S. Small Business Administration

Valerie B. Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island)

U.S. Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-Louisiana)

Gail McGovern, President and CEO, American Red Cross

Cathy Hughes, Founder and Chairperson of Radio One Inc., and Chair of SBA’s Advisory Council on Underserved Communities

Steve Case, Co-founder of AOL and Chair of Startup America Partnership

Bill Rancic, Reality Show Star, Executive Producer and Author

Seth Goldman, President and TeaEO, Honest Tea

National Small Business Week will also feature a series of small business forums that are open to the public. The forums address real-world topics that affect small businesses, including Growing Your Business While on the Go, Social Media, Exporting Tools for Success and Strategies for High Growth, High Impact Firms.

The public can register for the free forums onsite starting at 1:00 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 18. Events during National Small Business Week can be viewed virtually through SBA’s free, live webcasting accessible online at www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/webcast.php. Visit www.NationalSmallBusinessWeek.com to register for forums, and for the full Small Business Week schedule. A list of the 2011 state winners can be found online at http://nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/index.php?page=winners.

National Small Business Week 2011 Schedule of Events
(Subject to Change)
Wednesday, May 18
1:00 pm – 6:00 pm	Registration Open
	Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area
	Sponsored by Microsoft
2:30 pm – 4:30 pm	Growing Your Business While on the Go - A Road Warrior's Perspective
	Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom
	Sponsored by AT&T and SCORE
	Speaker: Bill Rancic
Thursday, May 19
8:00 am – 5:00 pm	Registration Open
	Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area
	Sponsored by Microsoft
8:00 am – 5:00 pm	Cyber Café Open
	Mandarin Oriental, Hillwood Room
	Sponsored by Google
8:30 am – 9:45 am	National Awards Breakfast Honoring Procurement Award Winners
	Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom
	Sponsored by Raytheon
10:00 am – 11:15 am	Forum #1: Social Media: Get Your Business Connected
	Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom
	Sponsored by Intuit
11:30 am –12:45 pm	Forum #2: Strategies for High Growth, High Impact Firms
	Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom
	Sponsored by Careerbuilder
	Speaker: Seth Goldman
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm	Phoenix Awards Luncheon
	Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom
	Sponsored by Sam’s Club
	Speaker: Sen. Jack Reed
2:30 pm – 5:00 pm	Networking Time – Visit Sponsor Tables, SBA Officials and the Cyber Cafe
	Mandarin Oriental Exhibit Areas
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm	Congressional Reception
	Hart Senate Office Building, Room SH-902
	Speaker: Sen. Mary L. Landrieu
Friday, May 20
8:00 am – 2:00 pm	Registration Open
	Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Pre-Function Area
	Sponsored by Microsoft
8:00 am – 5:00 pm	Cyber Café Open
	Mandarin Oriental, Hillwood Room
	Sponsored by Google
8:30 am – 9:45 am	Breakfast Honoring the Entrepreneurial Development and Lender Award Winners
	Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom
	Sponsored by Northrop Grumman
	Speaker: Steve Case
10:00 am – 12:00 pm	Forum #3: Exporting Tools for Success
	Mandarin Oriental, Oriental Ballroom
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm	National Awards Luncheon Honoring State Small Business Winners
	Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom
	Sponsored by Sam’s Club
	Speakers: SBA Administrator Mills, Valerie B. Jarrett
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm	Networking Time – Visit Sponsor Tables, SBA Officials and the Cyber Café
	Mandarin Oriental Exhibit Areas
7:30 pm – 11:00 pm	Champion Award Winners Gala
	Mandarin Oriental, Grand Ballroom
	Sponsored by Visa and Avaya
	Speakers: Deputy Administrator Johns, Cathy Hughes

Media Contacts:	Dennis Byrne	Cecelia Taylor
	[e-mail]	[e-mail]
	[phone]	[phone]

Small Business Week 2011 sponsors and cosponsors include: Association of Small Business Development Companies, AT&T, AVAYA, CareerBuilder, Dun & Bradstreet, Google, International Franchise Association, Intuit, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, National Association of Development Companies, National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, National Association of Small Business Investment Companies, National Association for the Self-Employed, National Small Business Association, Nomadic Display, Northrop Grumman, Office Depot, Raytheon, Sam's Club, SCORE, The Neat Company, Verio, Visa, the Wall Street Journal, and Women Impacting Public Policy.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s participation in this cosponsored activity does not constitute an express or implied endorsement of any cosponsor’s, donor’s, grantee’s, contractor’s or participant’s opinions, products, or services. All SBA programs and cosponsored programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested at least 2 weeks in advance, by contacting [e-mail]. Cosponsorship Authorization #SBW2011.

Release Number: 11-32